A message via via from onStrategies just passed my way and it had to do with a new piece that should be out on Friday Sept 17th called "The Myth of Open Systems". Before going any further this is not trying to slam Open Source.

The author Tony Baer wrote a nice small piece to introduce the article "After attending a panel session convened by the NY Software Industry Association, comprising representatives from IBM, Microsoft, CA, Information Builders, and Oracle, we concluded that debate about open systems is growing increasingly meaningless. Everybody claims their system is open but uses different definitions. ... While we're tired of the term open systems, we believe in openness."

The actual copy of the article I saw was a nice easy and entertaining read and it concluded with "Forget about "open."Everybody's products are open to a point. Instead, think interoperability, which is exactly why vendors are coalescing around web services."

Check it out, I enjoyed it.